Series: Snapshots of the Past
Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: The Nobel Laureate
Chapter 26
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: The Bartlets arrived in Stockholm; Jed and Abbey had a little fun in the restricted outdoor hot tub
Summary: When Jed is rattled after a run-in with Yosh Takahashi, Abbey tries to calm him down; Liz catches the eye of a Swedish teen; the family enjoys an evening cruise under the bridges of Stockholm
Jed rushed through the room and with one last flip of his jacket, he hustled out into the hall where he checked his pockets for the key before closing the door. When he turned, he came face-to-face with his former grad school rival, a person he hadn't seen in years. A person he despised. There he was in the flesh, the man Jed had been dreading.
Standing stoically in a conservative black suit, a white dress shirt, and red tie, Yosh Takahashi nodded. "Jed Bartlet. If I didn't know you'd be here, I wouldn't have even recognized you."
"Yosh." Jed took the hand that Yosh offered, giving him a half-hearted shake. "It's been a while."
"Yes, it has." Both men fidgeted speechlessly until Yosh noticed that Jed was still clutching the knob behind him. "That's your room?"
"Yeah."
He pointed several doors down. "Mine's over there."
"Nice." Jed gave him a polite smile.
When another awkward moment passed, Yosh took advantage of the tension. "I read your articles...the ones that caught the attention of the prize committee."
Modestly, Jed dismissed his research. "Oh, they were nothing special."
"No, they weren't," Yosh returned, silently noting that his response wiped the smile off Jed's face.
"Well, fortunately, the prize committee disagreed with both of us."
"Advocating policies to help underdeveloped nations attain political freedom, in theory, sounds respectable. But what you're really talking about is giving government handouts to members of society who have lost the incentive to contribute to their own country."
And just like that, Yosh wandered down a dangerous trail that reminded them both of their last year of grad school. Jed stuffed his hands in his pocket and pondered his response for a moment.
"That depends on how you measure a person's contribution," he eventually said. "And it's not about incentive here. Some people simply don't have the means to overcome obstacles."
"Then they should learn."
"And they will. My research was about ensuring programs to help them do that. In some of these countries, vulnerable citizens are falling through the cracks of bureaucracy. Government public works programs create jobs that will stimulate the economy and..."
"...and create a welfare state among its residents, spoonfeeding them every step of the way."
"There are those of us who can see the practicalities of these types of ventures..." Once again, Jed was interrupted. This time, by Abbey. She came barreling down the hall towards her husband, her voice preceding her turn around the corner.
"Jed, we're going to be late!" She softened her tone as she neared the duo. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were talking."
"It's okay. Yosh, you remember my wife Abbey?"
"Of course. A man never forgets a woman as lovely as Mrs. Bartlet." Yosh bowed his head and shook her hand.
"It's Doctor Bartlet now," Jed corrected. "She's an M.D."
"Oh really? General practitioner?"
"Surgery actually," Abbey answered. "Thoracic surgery."
"Ah, the breadwinner in the family. I always knew Jed was smart to marry up."
Abbey felt Jed's muscles tighten around her. He was standing a step behind her and one arm was draped over her shoulder while his other hand gripped her right hip. He squeezed her there, a gentle, yet frustrated squeeze. He was obviously agitated.
Though she wanted to give him an opportunity to set Yosh straight, what she wanted more was for Jed to be cool and relaxed at his press conference. So it was up to her to intervene.
"I don't know about that," she said as she lifted Jed's hand from her hip to press her lips to his knuckles. "I think I got the better deal." She turned to face her husband. "Now Jed, everyone's waiting downstairs and we really are going to be late. What do you say we continue this later?"
Her expressive eyes subtly shining, she slipped her hand into his to lead him away from his nemesis. Jed walked quietly, but Abbey could hear a bitter rumble of names and curse words escaping his lungs with every shallow breath.
Finally, when the elevator doors closed, he sighed. "Eleven years and he hasn't changed at all. He's still the same egotistical ass he's always been."
"Sounds like it's a good thing I showed up when I did."
"He says my research of the programs that would help struggling nations was nothing more than a way to conceal giving government handouts to bums roaming the streets."
"He doesn't know what he's talking about."
"Oh, he knows what he's talking about. That's the scariest part of all. He knows his facts. He's just smart enough to spin them in a way that makes it look like something other than what it is."
"And you're smart enough to spin it back."
"It's his way of promoting a conservative agenda that would make even the most faithful Republican cringe."
"He's close-minded."
"He's a fascist tumor on the face of economic policy, that's what he is." Reacting to the fire that burned through his glare, Abbey pulled the elevator button, jerking them both to a screeching halt. "You stopped the elevator."
"Yeah." She stood in front of the button, her arms folded over her chest as if guarding it with her petite frame.
"Ordinarily, I wouldn't even hesitate to get a little frisky, but taking into consideration the fact that we are late, I have to ask, what did you do that for?" Jed tried to wiggle his fingers around her, but she denied him access. "Abbey, seriously."
"We're not going anywhere until you get it all out of your system."
"What?"
"Your vile distaste for that man."
"My vile distaste? Excuse me, when did you change sides?" She arched her brow and he immediately surrendered. "Fine."
"I mean it, Jed. I'm not going to stand by and watch while you let Yosh Takahashi destroy this moment."
"I'm not letting him destroy anything."
"Yes, you are. And it's going to stop right now. You're a brilliant economist, one who spent years working on a theory that will one day benefit those living in deplorable conditions. Now, you are about to embark on a week of receptions and cocktail parties and lectures and press conferences and award ceremonies and banquets all in your honor. There is no way in hell I'm going to allow you to allow him to spoil one second of this. Not in this lifetime."
"Abbey..."
"So you stand there and you vent all you want. You call him names. Punch the wall and tell him off in four different languages. But we are not leaving this elevator until you get it out of your system and you're able to walk into that press conference with your head held high, proud of what you've accomplished and grateful for the recognition you so richly deserve."
Under other circumstances, Jed may have been a little miffed that she was essentially holding him hostage to a barrage of emotions he had securely tucked away. But it took him mere seconds to realize that Abbey was right. He could let go in an enclosed box with only his wife a witness to the animosity Yosh provoked in their exchange, or he could continue to let it eat away at him as he approached a couple dozen story-hungry journalists with an air of resentment, an attitude he knew would quickly betray the gracious words he had prepared and, by extension, unmask his insecurities.
He took a deep breath and asked, "What do you want to hear?"
"Tell me what he said before I showed up."
"He said he read my work, then he went on to tell me what was wrong with it, the sanctimonious son of a bitch." He paced the elevator angrily.
"And what did he say was wrong with it?"
"I told you. He said I was advocating nothing more than government handouts. Never mind these kinds of government handouts are precisely how FDR saved the Tennessee Valley."
"Did you tell him of that?"
"I don't need to tell him. He knows that! Don't underestimate the shrewd mind of a bigot, Abbey. That's what he is...a socioeconomic bigot! Welfare state...as if he could ever carry on a conversation without that phrase. Everything's about privatization because God forbid the government have a hand in helping its people become productive citizens." He kicked the steel doors with force.
"He really hasn't changed, has he?"
"I guess I had forgotten that a man who considers himself to be so smart could be such a preachy, smug, self-righteous buffoon! He'll get his eventually. I can't wait until the reporters tear him to shreds and believe me, Abbey, they will. You know why? Because even he can't possibly believe what he's saying. I'll have the last laugh. I just have to wait for it."
When he paused and relaxed against the metal railing behind him, Abbey soothingly rubbed his arm. "In the meantime, are you going to be okay?"
"I think so."
"Enough to put him out of your mind until later...when we're alone?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." She pushed the button to send them on their way down to the lobby. "Jed?"
"Yeah?"
"Before we get there, I just want to say go out there and knock 'em dead. You know how to do that?"
"How?"
"Remember why you did what you did. Your research had nothing to do with preaching to an international audience. It wasn't about battling the theories of other economists or hoping that someone would notice. Your work was a result of your compassion." She laid her hand flat over his heart. "This was your motivation and today, this is what's going to set you apart from Yosh Takahashi. Speak from your heart, Jed. Don't tell them why privatization won't work. Let them come to that conclusion on their own. Instead, tell them about the faces behind the research. Use your extraordinary storytelling skills to draw them a mental picture. Tell them about the people who live in these countries and how they could benefit from government programs. Tell them that and they'll know instantly why the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences decided your work was worthy of the most prestigious award in the world."
Jed coiled his arm around her waist and said softly, "I will."
And so he did. With his entire family sitting in the front row behind a crowd of television cameras, print photographers, and reporters, he gave a myriad of eloquent responses. He allowed his emotions to carry him. His words, devoid of academic lingo and rehearsed soundbytes, flowed from one thought to the next, propelling him to the front of the line of laureates all waiting for their turn under the lights.
He controlled the questions. He controlled the interviews. From Yosh's vantage point, Jed was in control of everything. And in the middle of it all, he followed Jed's gaze as it rose over the cameras towards Abbey. Husband and wife exchanged a smile beaming with an equal mix of pride and gratitude.
Later, while Jed and the other laureates were whisked away to deliver lectures, Abbey took the girls skating at the ice rink in Kungsträdgården Park. It wasn't even 3 p.m. yet and the sun was already beginning to set, tossing a breathtaking glow over the streaming water that stretched all the way out to the Baltic Sea.
Street lamps lit the ice rink and giant speakers grounded throughout the surrounding embankments echoed with the sounds of Scandinavian music.
As Ellie glided over the ice with ease, Zoey looked on in awe of her big sister's grace. Abbey held the wobbly toddler's hands and pulled her along the slippery surface, but soon she opted for independence, guided by the false belief that she, too, could skate on her own. Unfortunately, she could barely stand in her skates, let alone move in them.
Abbey reluctantly released her grip, her arms still extended to catch her daughter when she inevitably fell. Zoey was at a standstill and when she took one small step forward, she immediately lost her balance and tumbled into Abbey's embrace.
"And that's why you don't get to skate alone."
"Ellie did it!" the three-year-old whined.
"Ellie's a lot older than you are, Sweetheart. She's had a lot more practice skating on the pond back home."
"I can skate on the pond too."
"Yes, you can. And I'll tell you what, when it's cold enough this winter, I'll take you out there and teach you how to skate all by yourself, but just for now, I'm going to hold your hands so you won't fall, okay?"
"Okay." Zoey nodded as she offered Abbey her little mitten-clad hands.
Meanwhile, Lizzie, who initially wanted to take a stroll towards the chic European shops down the street, settled for the afternoon excursion when she realized just how many Swedish teens had gathered at the rink.
She twirled in the center of the ice, seemingly oblivious to the prying eyes of the tall blonde teenage boy who was mesmerized by the way she looked. Like an authentic ice princess, he thought. She was dressed in white slacks and an ivory angora sweater. A snow white cashmere scarf flowed from around her neck and a matching white beret covered only the top of her long chestnut hair.
He assumed she hadn't noticed him spying, but Liz was smarter than that. She had seen him during one of her turns and though she hadn't acknowledged him, she knew he was watching. She stayed in her spot, practicing her moves until he approached.
"Du er pen fint!"
"Um..." If only she had brought along that Swedish-English dictionary Jed had given her.
"I said you're pretty good." He translated his statement with a noticeable accent.
"Oh. Thanks!"
"Are you American?"
"Yes. I'm Elizabeth." Liz extended her arm.
"Sven." He covered her cold fingers with his gloved hand in an effort to warm her up.
The teenagers began to skate off together, crossing the rink to a corner opposite Abbey. It was a calculated move on her part. If she was going to enjoy a conversation with the handsome stranger, she didn't want her mother or sisters intruding.
But even from across the ice, an excited Ellie spotted the pair and rushed to inform Abbey. "Lizzie met a really cute boy!"
"She did?"
"Uh huh! Look! Over there!" She didn't mean any harm. Nothing ever made her happier than when Lizzie had a boyfriend, but like most little girls, Ellie reveled in the joy of snooping on her sister. "Want me to go hang out with them?"
"I don't think so," Abbey replied, much to her disappointment.
"How come? Daddy always wants me to hang out with them when Lizzie's with a boy. He says it's how he makes sure there's no touching."
"Well, unlike your father, I don't believe that teenage boys are nothing more than a quivering mass testosterone. We're in a crowded ice rink and Lizzie knows we're only a few feet away, so with that in mind, I think we should respect her privacy from a distance."
"We should?"
"Yes, we should." Abbey tugged Ellie's arm to pull her towards the railing. "It doesn't mean we can't just sit here and watch though."
She held her youngest daughters back and together, the threesome observed Liz and Sven laughing and talking and, after a while, skating in small circles around one another as they exchanged jokes and anecdotes about their young lives.
By dinnertime that evening, Liz had sworn her sisters to secrecy. She knew Abbey would tell Jed all about the afternoon with Sven, but the last thing she needed was Zoey and Ellie teasing her in front of the rest of the family.
After dinner at a posh Scandinavian restaurant on the banks of Lake Mälaren, Jed and Abbey, Jack and Kellie, James and Mary, and all the kids boarded the large yacht that would take them on a tour of the archipelagos in the Baltic Sea. They passed through two locks while cruising under fifteen of Stockholm's most beautiful bridges.
"You see all those pieces of land out there, Zo? Those islands are all the part of the city of Stockholm." Jed held Zoey up so she could see the glittering lights out the window.
"Can we visit them, Daddy?" Ellie asked.
"Some of them, sure."
"Hey, Ellie, come here." Abbey directed her middle daughter towards the window behind Zoey and Jed. "Look across the water to those buildings over there."
"Yeah?"
"That's Djurgården Island. Once your Aunt Kate arrives with Millie and Leo and Jenny, your grandparents and I are going to take all you kids to see it."
"What is it?"
"It's a park full of characters created by Scandanavian authors."
Ellie thought about it for a moment. While the idea sounded intriguing, she needed more information to get her mind racing. "What characters?"
"Pippi Longstockings for one."
"REALLY?!" That did it. Always the bookworm, Ellie couldn't imagine a better activity.
"Really," Abbey confirmed. "And tomorrow, Lizzie and I are going to take a little trip to that island over there." She pulled Ellie out of Liz's way so the older girl could see the string of boutiques on the waterfront.
"You're gonna take me shopping?"
"You want a designer theater dress, right?"
"Yeah, but I didn't think..."
"I'm told that's where we can find one."
Jed stared at his wife, grinning from ear to ear. He stood and ducked behind her, coiling his arm around her waist as he whispered into her ear. "You never cease to amaze me."
"What do you mean?"
"It doesn't surprise me that you planned out the schedule for the week. What always gets me is how good you are at taking control."
"Isn't that one of the things you don't like?" She quizzed him suspiciously.
"No." Shocked by the allegation, he furrowed his brows.
"Because I could swear when we were on the plane yesterday, you said I always have to control what everyone packs. You didn't seem nearly as smitten with the whole thing then."
"Then I was an idiot. From this morning's pep talk in the elevator to the way you tailored this vacation to what everyone wants...I'm totally smitten with the way you take control." He stole a quick kiss. "Just so you know, though, whatever you have planned for Friday, you're going to have to change."
"What happened to liking it when I'm in control?"
"For most things. Not for this."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
He toyed with the idea of telling her, but watching her curiosity pique with interest was more enjoyable. "You'll find out on Friday."
"I want to know now," she said firmly.
"You know what else I love about you?" Jed enveloped her in a tight embrace. "The fact that I know that deep inside your soul, there is a smidgen of patience lurking about. I'm confident that sliver of restraint is what you'll draw upon to get you through the next four days."
"You know me so well, Babe." Abbey pressed herself against his frame and reached around to lower her hands to the slope of his rear as she contemplated seducing it out of him later.
Donning a devilish smirk, Jed replied, "This is going to be a fun week."
TBC